Q&A: Understanding the problem of human trafficking in Ohio

Jun. 28, 2013

Human trafficking takes many forms. A cognitively disabled woman and her child were reportedly held for two years in the basement of this 509 West Main Street apartment complex in Ashland. / Kaitlin Durbin/CentralOhio.com

Written by

Kaitlin Durbin

CentralOhio.com

A recent Ohio attorney general report shows sporadic human trafficking cases across the state, yet most experts agree the crime is being underreported. Here’s a breakdown of some of the basics.

Question: What is human trafficking?

Answer: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as “the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit human beings for some type of labor or commercial sex purpose.” Ohio law defines “trafficking in persons” as recruiting, luring or harboring another person for involuntary servitude or compelled sexual activity for hire.

In essence, trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which profit is made from the control and exploitation of others. Victims may not be detained physically and forced to perform labor or sexual acts, but they are often frightened into submission by death threats or threats of harm to loved ones.

Q. What is the difference between prostitution and sex trafficking?

A. The key in differentiating between prostitution and sex trafficking in adults is force, fraud or coercion.

It often is difficult to determine whether a prostitute initially chose the work or was forced into it. There is little difference between sex trafficking and pimp-controlled prostitution. In both cases, victims are forced to perform sexual acts for money by means of physical abuse, threats, lies, manipulation and false promises.

Many times victims are confined to a home, hotel or flap house, drugged to the point of unconsciousness and raped repeatedly by buyers.

Q. Who are the victims?

A. There is no set stereotype when it comes to human trafficking. All ages, races and sexes are affected.

While anyone can be a victim of trafficking, certain populations are especially vulnerable. More often than not, females are the victims of sex trafficking, especially runaway and homeless youth — though young males are still at risk.

A 2012 survey of sex trafficking victims revealed they were more likely to suffer from child abuse and neglect, have a close relative involved in the sex trade, suffer from depression, have been raped, have run away from home, have difficulty in school, have contact with law enforcement and have spent time in juvenile detention.

Labor trafficking victims are more mixed depending on the type of labor required. Traffickers often target undocumented migrants and oppressed, marginalized, or impoverished groups and individuals who are more vulnerable to recruitment tactics and methods of control.

Undocumented immigrants in the United States are highly vulnerable because of their lack of legal status and protections, language barriers, limited employment options, poverty, immigration-related debts and social isolation. It is not unusual for traffickers to hold certain property — IDs, birth certificates, drivers licenses — to maintain control over their victims.

Q. How are victims recruited?

A. Sex trafficking victims might be recruited by a female friend; a male pretending to be her boyfriend, called the Romeo pimp; a relative; or a violent individual, called a gorilla pimp.

Eight in 10 victims surveyed in the 2012 report were recruited by a female friend or a female who pretended to be their friend.

Labor trafficking victims may be recruited from a foreign country or pulled from low-income communities in the U.S. and promised work.

A trafficker may target victims at popular teen hangouts and start grooming victims to trust them. Soon, they offer the victim a safe place to stay, drugs if they are addicted, or food and shelter if they are struggling economically. In time, that voluntary help becomes a debt that the victim must repay.

Q. How are victims trafficked?

• Internet — Websites such as Craigslist and Backpage.com allow users to advertise sexual services disguised as dating and escort services, categorized by state and city.

• “Hostess” bar/club operations — strip clubs and gentleman’s clubs are often a site of trafficking.

• Residential/underground brothels —Buyers are invited to operations run out of the home, apartment, hotel/motel rooms, trailer parks, mobile trailers and other outdoor locations.

• Pimp-controlled prostitution —It is often difficult to identify a pimp who is not using some form of deceit, lies, manipulation, threats, or violence towards the victims they are attempting to control.

• Flap houses — Locations where people can go to buy and use drugs, and receive sexual acts.

Q. How do I know if someone is being trafficked?

A. Victims are not always held in servitude by force — they may live with their parents, go to school, attend the weekend parties and otherwise appear to live a normal life.

Warning signs include if a person is not free to leave as she wishes, is younger than 18 and performing commercial sex acts, is reluctant to talk to anybody, isn’t allowed outside of the house, doesn’t carry any money or identification or often hangs around an older significant other.

If you suspect someone is being trafficked, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline with as much detail as possible 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 888-3737-888.